Artnotes: A Rakish Angle

Fall Trees Blair Pessemier  acrylic/canvas   20  x 8"    50 x 20 cm   395.00 I hope your week has been good.  We just volunteered to do cat and dog murals outside our vet’s office.  I find retirement (or whatever not having a regular schedule is) very boring and I continuously look for (crazy) projects.   Berlino, of course, is the inspiration for the dog, and a fat black and white cat sits in the nook on the other side of the door.   We opted to paint in acrylic, with some oil pastel accents.

At the Vet's place... We covered up our scrimshaw show (I just couldn’t erase it) with 5-foot-tall tree paintings.  We added some smaller tree paintings, as well, and I am pressing fall leaves for a mobile.  No, we rarely sell anything there, but I know people like it because they leave little gifts, like, this week, a folder of impressionist prints.   I can’t wait all my life for people to buy my paintings, galleries to hang them or just the right situation.  Blair and I are working on an architectural competition together.  Contrary to the robust discussion the neighbors are hearing, it isn't a double burial tomb.   It’s the redo of a bombed out church just outside of Bologna, in Settefonti.  It is a site of a castle from 1105, which was on a key road from Bologna to Arezzo – the Romanesque church first appeared in the 14th century, and was restored in the 17th.   It had the misfortune to be on the “Gothic” line during WWII and was destroyed except for a bell tower and part of the façade.   “ReuseIT” is an international organization which rehabs sites like these, mostly in Italy, and to whose call we are responding to.    We are going to the Venice Architectural Biennale next week for further inspiration.  We’re all staying overnight in an apartment near Palladio’s Villa Malcontenta. This isn’t a project we have to follow through with a construction team – it is just a competition for an idea of what to do, with a modest prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Apples  Laurie Pessemier  acrylic/canvas  10.5  x19"   27  x 48cm   475.00     Just this week, the sun has reached the perfect rakish angle for illuminating the fall color.  The moon was most impressive, and when it hasn’t been out, what seem like thousands of stars twinkle above in the crisp clear night.   Winter, my favorite season for light, is right around the corner, with new projects on the horizon. Cou cou   Laurie Pessemier  acrylic/vintage paper   8  x 11"    20  x 28 cm   95.00 HOUSEKEEPING:  We make art to order, including portraits by Blair Pessemier.    Follow us on Instagram @lauriepessemier See all of our painting at https://paintfox.com Most of our work is available as reproductions, custom sized and framed. Write to me at lfpessemier@gmail.com   Peppers  Laurie Pessemier  acrylic/canvas  13  x16"   33  x 41cm   375.00     sign up for Artnotes, our weekly art missive, by contacting me at lfpessemier@gmail.com or https://mailchi.mp/341f508cecf8/artnotes INVITING All Artists to present their Work:   Paint, Literature, Crafts, Food.... Pessemier's Sunday Salon Weekly on Sunday  No Reservation Necessary   How it works: Bring a piece of your ART: that could be visual, like painting or printmaking; or literary, as in poetry or prose; or crafts, like metalwork or knitting; or food, or music.  Something you made, or feel particularly inspired by.  You have about 5 minutes to present, and we'll ooh, ahh, or answer questions you have.  You can also come and see how we work before diving in.  Just show up on Zoom at a minute or two before the hour.    No selling, no networking until after everyone has presented.  No politics, no sales pitches, please. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88093708954?pwd=M04zNHB4dFZkREp3bThweUd1YnVDZz09 Meeting ID: 880 9370 8954 Passcode: 886402 Rome 8PM; NY 2 PM; LosAngeles 11AM

Artnotes: In the hills

 Mural wall for the Alpini, Rocca Malatina

1/3 of the way done

 Blair, mastering the trees

The mural, with me

The Hills  Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/linen   13 x 18"  33 x 46 cm

Tree in Gold   Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/panel   10 x 12"  25 x 30 cm

Artnotes:  In the Hills

While walking Harika, a man we know in town motioned for us to “come over here”.  He went on to point out the white wall on the new clubhouse of the Alpinists. “A mural is what we need here”, he asserted.  The club’s thinking had, in fact, gone beyond that – they had an image in mind, the “Sassi”, the two big rocks which define our town, and the surrounding wood.

The Alpinists are a force here in the Apennines.  They were very active in World War II, and much action transpired in these hills.   They still get together, and have increased their numbers with the addition of local hikers.

Bob Dole, the former US senator, was a second lieutenant in the 10^th mountain division at Castel D’Aiano (we went to lunch there on Monday, passing Dole’s monument), where he was seriously wounded.   It was thought Dole wouldn’t survive, but he did and was determined to do as much as he could with his remaining strength.  Dole was here, just ten miles from our house, in October 2015, to revisit his mountains. “This may be my last trip,” the 92 year old veteran announced.  

We gladly agreed to paint the mural, if the Alpinists provided all the paints.  Blair went up on Monday and sketched out the design, in charcoal.  Tuesday morning we were in full painting form, and knocked out most of the picture that day.  The Alpinists decided they’d like their alpine hat on top of the mountain – which I gladly obliged.  “That feather needs to be longer…”

We loved painting outside, in public, once again.   A dozen people stopped by over two days to watch the progress:  sidewalk supervisors.  I was, myself, surprised at how quickly the work went.   Blair was the layout man, and I did the sky, the rocks, and the hat.   He painted most of the trees, although I made an occasional dab of green paint.  On Wednesday, we finished.

Harika supported us, dozing, chasing a cat and digging shallow holes in the clay, the same stuff that was on the playing fields.   She welcomed each observer.  An occasional coffee laced with brandy, a plastic cup full of homemade grappa, “the specialty of the house”, kept us warm.  I almost hated to see the project come to a close.

We’ve asked for a Christmas tree in return – if anyone can find us a nice 10 foot tree, these guys will.   As we signed our name on the mural, I told the president of the club, “we’ll be in Rocca Malatina forever now”.